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World Matchplay 2026: Darts predictions, betting tips and preview for the Sky Sports-televised major at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool

Darts

Sat July 18, 2026 · 4M ago

The World Matchplay begins on Saturday night in Blackpool and Chris Hammer has put together his usual comprehensive analysis of the entire draw.

Second event of 'Triple Crown' after Premier League
Littler favourite to defend his title in Blackpool
Selections including in-form youngster at 10/1

Darts betting tips: World Matchplay

5pts Luke Littler to hit most tournament 180s at 9/10 (Unibet)

2pts Luke Humphries to win the World Matchplay at 5/1 (Unibet, Betway)

2pts Wessel Nijman to win the World Matchplay at 10/1 (General)

1pt Kevin Doets to win quarter three at 19/2 (Unibet)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

There was perhaps only ever going to be one England team winning a World Cup this summer and the two heroes of that wonderful night back in June return to major action in Blackpool battling it out for the World Matchplay title.

Luke Littler is of course the defending champion after his historic triumph 12 months ago which saw him become the youngest ever winner of this prestigious event.

In doing so he completed the 'Triple Crown' of Darts at the age of just 18, while his astonishing average of 107.24 against James Wade was the third highest for a World Matchplay final behind Phil Taylor's efforts of 111.23 against Lewis in 2013 and 109.47 against Wade back in 2008.

Since then, Littler has gone on to add another seven majors to his unbelievable tally of 15 and the only one he's not yet collected is the European Championship.

Littler is always hungry for new records and ways to make history and there's no doubt that he'll want to complete a clean sweep of majors in a calendar year. He's won the first four (five if you include the World Cup) and he's hot favourite to make it five.

WATCH: PHIL TAYLOR'S CRAZY STATISTICS AT THE WORLD MATCHPLAY

Phil Taylor's INSANE World Matchplay stats

However, I'm backing his World Cup team-mate Luke Humphries to end this relentless run of success by picking up his second Phil Taylor Trophy.

Cool Hand was a fantastic winner of the event 12 months earlier when averaging over 100 in all five of his games including a 101 to beat Michael van Gerwen 18-15 in a Winter Gardens classic.

At that moment in time he probably didn't quite realise quite how quickly he'd lose a grip of his newfound dominance and he's largely had to play second fiddle to Littler ever since, winning 'just' three more majors.

He's finished runner up to Littler in four of the major finals he's reached since last October's World Grand Prix but nobody can say he hasn't given him an almighty scare, as we saw in the World Masters and the Premier League final, in which he was pipped in a last-leg decider.

Humphries gained a small measure of revenge over Littler by beating him in the US Darts Masters final 8-7 at the end of June with an average of 104 and right now I believe he's got the confidence to turn him over in a big major.

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These five greats have never won the World Matchplay

Humphries keeps himself mentally and physically fit, which will be essential if they meet in a best-of-35-leg final, and when it comes to statistical form, he actually has the highest seasonal average in 2026, his 101.09 a fraction ahead of Littler's 101. Obviously that's only a tiny difference, but it's proof that he's consistently operating at very similar levels.

The other viable threat to Littler could well be Wessel Nijman, who is as big as 10/1 purely because we haven't yet seen him produce his brilliant best on the major stage. And 'yet' is the key word here.

I really do feel 2026 will provide the breakthrough moment in the young Dutchman's career and it could well happen in Blackpool as he bids to convert his phenomenal seasonal form to the big time.

Last month, Nijman won the inaugural Slovak Darts Open to become just the the fourth player in history behind Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright to have claimed eight or more ProTour titles in a single season, with two of those being on the European Tour.

The other six were Players Championship events and although a lot of the biggest names such as Littler and Humphries hardly compete in those these days, it's still a relentless run of success which is creating more confidence with every passing week.

Crowds bigger and louder than Blackpool have seen him succeed this season so we don't really have to worry about the stage environment anymore, so the biggest question mark is the format. He’s unproven in best-of-31-legs or more so we are taking a chance on him in that regard.

ALSO READ: PHIL TAYLOR'S WORLD MATCHPLAY DOMINANCE

Phil Taylor after his World Matchplay wins in 1995 and 2017

As for Littler, he's obviously an extremely fair favourite given everything he's achieved but I would rather back him to hit most 180s for the tournament at almost evens.

Last year he managed a record-breaking 64 maximums and even if he hadn't reached the final - in which he hit 17 - he would likely have still beaten Josh Rock in this market, as the Northern Irishman ended up on 37 after being pipped by Littler in that unforgettable semi-final.

This season his 180 per leg rate is 0.43 and that's some way clear of Kevin Doets' 0.36 and Luke Humphries 0.35. Both of those players are in the opposite half so even if he meets either in the final, he should still clean up.

Obviously an early exit will rule him out, but I don't expect that and this is one market you can back Littler and still win even if he doesn't lift the trophy.

Now, I'll run through each quarter of the draw to complete a full preview...

World Matchplay: Quarter one

(1) Luke Littler v Niko Springer
(16) Nathan Aspinall v Joe Cullen
(8) Josh Rock v Luke Woodhouse
(9) Stephen Bunting v Niels Zonneveld

It's extremely hard to see anyone other than Luke Littler coming through this section of the draw so we won't spend too long on this.

The stats for the players in World Matchplay quarter one

Niko Springer would have to play an absolute blinder and catch the Nuke on an off day to cause a massive shock and by the time he faces the bigger names in this quarter, the format lengthens to best-of-21 and best-of-31 legs, and we all know how ridiculously tough it is to beat him over this kind of distance.

Josh Rock came pretty close in last year's semi-final but he's not shown us the kind of form that suggests a similar performance is on the cards and the same can be said for Stephen Bunting.

World Matchplay: Quarter two

(4) Michael van Gerwen v Andrew Gilding
(13) Chris Dobey v Dirk van Duijvenbode
(5) Jonny Clayton v Damon Heta
(12) Gary Anderson v Ryan Joyce

This is a pretty tough quarter to call although Michael van Gerwen heads the betting to come through it having enjoyed a pretty decent season so far which has seen him pick up three titles including a couple on the World Series.

The Premier League campaign didn't go to plan and we saw plenty of inconsistency over those 16 weeks.

By contrast, Jonny Clayton performed brilliantly to reach the play-offs, but he hasn't really succeeded anywhere else in 2026.

The stats for the players in World Matchplay quarter two

Gary Anderson has the highest season average in this quarter but keep your eye on Chris Dobey who has picked up a couple of Pro Tour titles in 2026 and is statistically performing well.

However, his form in Blackpool isn't so hot having reached just once quarter-final back in 2023 so he does have that question to answer.

World Matchplay: Quarter three

(2) Luke Humphries v Cameron Menzies
(15) Ross Smith v Kevin Doets
(7) Gerwyn Price v Martin Schindler
(10) Danny Noppert v Rob Cross

All but two players in this section of the draw have won titles in 2026 so it won't be easy for my main tournament tip Luke Humphries to come through it.

However, a tough quarter like this will hopefully ensure he hits the ground running and by the time the final weekend comes round, he should be firing on all cylinders.

The stats for players in the third quarter

If a focused Gerwyn Price turns up then he'll obviously be dangerous but he's admitted distractions away from darts in recent months have taken some of his motivation away and that could prove crucial if he faces a hungry Humphries in the quarter-finals.

Ross Smith is certainly a dark horse to be wary of having claimed three titles this season - including one on the European Tour - but he opens his campaign against the dangerous Dutchman, Kevin Doets.

As popular as he is with the crowds, Doets is still to shine in a major away from the World Championship but I have a feeling the Winter Gardens experience will bring the best of him like the Ally Pally does.

It's his first World Matchplay and he comes into it on the back of a highly impressive season which has seen him win his maiden PDC ranking title back in May.

His numbers have been fantastic so far this season and this breakthrough triumph really could prove to be the launchpad that sees him turn into the major star his talents deserve.

If he comes up against Humphries in round two, it'll be best-of-21 legs which gives him half a chance, and that's why I'm having a small saver on him to go on and win this quarter.

World Matchplay: Quarter four

(3) Gian van Veen v Krzysztof Ratajski
(14) Wessel Nijman v Dave Chisnall
(6) James Wade v Jermaine Wattimena
(11) Ryan Searle v William O’Connor

As you'll have seen, Wessel Nijman is my confident pick to come through quarter four for reasons stated at the start of this preview.

Gian van Veen is the highest-ranked player but he's struggled for consistency in recent months and I doubt many would deny that Nijman is the number one Dutchman on form right now.

His biggest threat could well turn out to be the regularly underestimated James Wade, who loves playing in front of proper darts fans in Blackpool.

The stats for players in the fourth quarter

This venue brought the best out of him in his early years as he won two World Matchplay titles and reached four other finals between 2006 and 2015, while in the last couple of years he's reached the semi-finals and then pushed Littler very hard before finishing a gallant runner-up 12 months ago.

His seasonal stats can almost be rendered meaningless when he heads to Blackpool and if he does come up against Nijman, then he'll definitely have the fans roaring him on.

Posted at 1355 BST on 16/07/26

World Matchplay Darts: Daily Schedule

Click here for Sky Bet odds
* Each game must be won by two clear legs, with up to a maximum of five additional legs being played before the sixth additional leg is sudden-death

Saturday July 18 (1900 BST)
First Round (best of 19 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

Josh Rock v Luke Woodhouse
Stephen Bunting v Niels Zonneveld
Luke Littler v Niko Springer
Nathan Aspinall v Joe Cullen

Sunday July 19
Morning Session (1300 BST)
First Round (best of 19 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

Chris Dobey v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Gary Anderson v Ryan Joyce
Michael van Gerwen v Andrew Gilding
Jonny Clayton v Damon Heta

Evening Session (1900 BST)
First Round (best of 19 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

Ryan Searle v William O’Connor
James Wade v Jermaine Wattimena
Gian van Veen v Krzysztof Ratajski
Wessel Nijman v Dave Chisnall

Monday July 20 (1900 BST)
First Round (best of 19 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

Ross Smith v Kevin Doets
Gerwyn Price v Martin Schindler
Luke Humphries v Cameron Menzies
Danny Noppert v Rob Cross

Tuesday July 21 (1900 BST)
Second Round (best of 21 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

Littler/Springer v Aspinall/Cullen
Rock/Woodhouse v Bunting/Zonneveld
Van Gerwen/Gilding v Dobey/Van Duijvenbode
Clayton/Heta v Anderson/Joyce

Wednesday July 22 (1900 BST)T)
Second Round (best of 21 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

Humphries/Menzies v Smith/Doets
Price/Schindler v Noppert/Cross
Van Veen/Ratajski v Nijman/Chisnall
Wade/Wattimena v Searle/O’Connor

Thursday July 24 (1900 BST)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

Two matches

Friday July 24 (1900 BST)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

Two matches

Saturday July 25 (1900 BST)
Semi-Finals (best of 33 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 2
Winner QF 3 v Winner QF 4

Sunday July 26 (2030 BST)
Final (best of 35 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

Darts: Related content

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World Matchplay 2026: Darts predictions, betting tips and preview for the Sky Sports-televised major at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool

Darts betting tips: World Matchplay

WATCH: PHIL TAYLOR'S CRAZY STATISTICS AT THE WORLD MATCHPLAY

ALSO READ: BEST PLAYERS NEVER TO WIN THE WORLD MATCHPLAY

ALSO READ: PHIL TAYLOR'S WORLD MATCHPLAY DOMINANCE